It’s getting towards that time of year again when the frost descends and the cold bites in many parts around the world. True tests of elite squads are on the horizon.
In the Premier League there are huge games on Saturday at lunchtime and in the evening, the latter of which has the potential to be decisive in the battle for top spot in the Premier League this term.
Elsewhere the surprise package of the Ligue 1 season take on the champions on Friday, while there are also big fixtures to come from Germany and Italy on Saturday too.
All kick-offs are in Eastern time. Enjoy your weekend and enjoy the games!
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Lille
Friday, November 2, 3:45 p.m. ET, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Espanol, Sling Latino, Sling World Sports and fuboTV (free trial)
Although Paris Saint-Germain appear poised to set new standards in pursuit of the French title this season, in Lille we will see one of Europe’s biggest surprises of 2018-19.
After a brush with relegation last term, manager Christophe Galtier has steered the team to an exceptional start to the campaign. They are in second place in the table after stringing four wins together in succession and will go to the Parc des Princes with confidence that they can accomplish something special on Friday.
PSG will win the title this season and at this point it appears to be a question of by how many points. A week ago they negotiated a potentially challenging trip to Marseille with ease, making it 11 wins from 11 to start the season.
Neymar and Kylian Mbappe will provide the obvious threats for the Parisians, although Lyon have some players in red-hot form to watch too. Wingers Nicolas Pepe and Jonathan Bamba have been sensational in 2018-19 and have the attributes to at least give PSG something to worry about on the break.
Bournemouth vs. Manchester United
Saturday, November 3, 8:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN, Universo, fuboTV, Sling Blue and PlayStation Vue (free trial)
At the moment, Bournemouth appear best placed to be crowned as the “Best of the Rest” in the Premier League this season, after a tremendous early run. They will provide Manchester United with a serious test.
Eddie Howe’s Cherries team are often tipped for relegation at the start of the campaign, although all the hallmarks so far at they are more than good enough to finish in the top half. They are well-oiled unit and in the final third players like David Brooks and Callum Wilson have provide a razor-sharp edge.
After some major lulls in the campaign United appear to be getting back to a decent level of performance and were impressive in spells against Everton on Sunday. Anthony Martial will undoubtedly be the danger man for the Red Devils, as he’s netted four times in his last four matches.
Bournemouth have the energy and ingenuity to cause big problems for a United team that’s been stolid for so long this season. If Jose Mourinho’s side are able to come through this one, it’d be the surest sign yet that they’re a team on the right track again.
Wolfsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund
Saturday, November 3, 10:30 a.m. ET, FOX Soccer Plus, FOX Deportes and fuboTV (free trial)
After being held last weekend by Hertha Berlin, Borussia Dortmund will be looking to get back on track away to Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Following on from their Champions League heroics against Atletico Madrid, there were some signs of tiredness in the 2-2 draw against Hertha. BVB would’ve at least been pleased with the performance of Jadon Sancho, as they youngster continued his blistering season with a couple more goals.
Defensively Lucien Favre will want to see his team tighten up here, especially with Bayern Munich seemingly out of their slump and just two points behind. Wolfsburg have not been consistent this season and if BVB are to challenge for Bundesliga glory then these are the sort of fixtures they need to get through.
Favre will at least be hopeful of recalling Paco Alcacer for this one, as he’s missed the last two matches with injury. If he’s at the point of the attack, the Spaniard should give Dortmund the edge needed to pick up three points.
Fiorentina vs. Roma
Saturday, November 3, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN+
If Roma and Fiorentina have any hopes of finishing in a European spot this season, their campaigns are in need of some igniting. Both will hope this fixture can trigger that.
Roma did at least turn in a fine performance last time out. They were able to pick up a draw against a red-hot Napoli team and were just seconds away from a memorable win, only to be denied by a late Dries Mertens equalizer.
Following that effort and a big win over CKSA Moscow in the Champions League, slowly there do appear to be signs that Eusebio Di Francesco’s team are settling into the season. But the tough fixtures continue to crop up on the schedule; Fiorentina have the best home record in Serie A this season.
Performances at the Stadio Artemio Franchi have been the bedrock of Fiorentina’s solid start and while manager Stefano Pioli will need to find a way to improve performances on the road, La Viola can keep the pressure on the top six with victory here.
Arsenal vs. Liverpool
Saturday, November 3, 1:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Universo, fuboTV (also available in 4K), Sling Blue and PlayStation Vue (free trial)
Arsenal’s winning run came to an end against Crystal Palace last weekend. Now their focus will be on showing they have what’s required to get a victory against one of the league’s best sides in Liverpool.
The Gunners had shown vulnerabilities during their winning sequence and they were capitalized on by Palace last weekend, with the Eagles drawing 2-2 thanks to two penalties. Both came about as a result of rash defending from Arsenal and that’ll need to be cut out if they’re going to contain Liverpool.
Saturday’s visitors are still keeping pace with Manchester City at the top of the table after a 4-1 win over Cardiff City last weekend. In recent games, there have been positive signs for Liverpool’s front three too, with Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah all back among the goals.
Liverpool also have a full week to prepare for this fixture following their elimination from the Carabao Cup, which is something of a rarity for manager Jurgen Klopp.
from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/2CVfDnv
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